Plant for operating motors



(No Model.)

M. W. QUICK. PLANT POR OPERATING MOTORS.

No. 595,206. Patented Deo. 7,1897.

INVENTOR.

Atty.

llnrrrnn Stearns Arena trici-3.

MILES IV. QUICK, OF TITUSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

PLANT FOR OPERATING MOTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,206, dated `December 7,4897.

Application filed December 2l, 1896. Serial No. 616,514. (No model.)

To @ZZ wtont t mtg/ concern:

Beit known that I, MILES IV. QUICK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Titusville, in the county of Crawford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Plants for Operating` Motors, of which iinprovements the following is a specification.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements in mechanism for operatin g a series of two or more separated motors which can be employed for pu m ping wells and other purposes. As is well known, it is customaryto connect the pump or sucker rods of a group of wells, in pumping wells, to a central power-station by means of rods which are connected at the wells to walking-beams or equivalent devices, whereby the horizontal movements of the rods are changed to vertical movements in the pump or sucker rods. As far as possible the load of the pum p-rod of one well is balanced by that in another well, but the relative locations of the wells render an efficient balancing impracticabie. A further objection to the use of such mechanical devices lies inthe fact that some wells require for efficient pumping a comparatively rapid reciprocation of the pump-piston, whereas the slow flow of oil in other wells renders a rapid movement of the pump-piston undesirable. An adjustment of the speed of the pistons in accordance with the varied requirements is impracticable where the reciprocation of the pump-rods is effected by inechanical connect-ion to the crank-shaft of a central station.

The object of the present invention is to provide for the operation of the pump of each well in approximately exact accordance with the requirements for efficient pumping and to utilize the power developed by the descending puinp-rods to relieve the central station of a portion of the work necessary to lift the pump-rods on the next stroke.

It is a further object of the invention to utilize the downward movement of the pumprods to force gas from the wells being` pumped to the central power-station, where it may be used under the boilers or in a gas-engine.

The invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings7 forming a part of this specification, Figure l is in the nature of a diagrammatic view illustrating a central power-station and lnain pipe leading therefrom and branch connections to the cylinder or motor at cach well. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showing the construction of the apparatus employed at each well for operating the pump-rods.

In the practice of my invention the central power-station is located at any suitable point, preferably where the several wells to be pumped will be of convenient access. At the central pump-station is located an engine l, used for operating the exhaust-pump 2. The inlet-valves of this exhaust-pump are connected to the main supply-pipe 3. The main supply-pipe 3 is connected by branch pipes 5 to the valve mechanism of the operating-cylinders t. The valve mechanism consists of a case or chamber 7, in which is located an oscillating valve S, having a lever Sconnected to its stem. This lever 9 is operated to shift the valve by means of a rod l0, which is adj ustably connected to an arm l1, secured to the piston l2 of the cylinder, the latter being of the single-acting type and having one end open, so that the one side of the piston will loe-subjected at all times to atmospheric pressure. The rod l0 is provided with stops 13 and 14:, one or both of which are adjustably secured on the rod, so as to strike and shift the lever 9 during the reciprocation of the piston.

In order to insure a quick movement of the valve in opening and closing the ports of the valve-case, a spring l5 is secured, preferably, to the cylinder 6 in such relation to the arm or lever 9 as to be in the path of movement of one end thereof. This spring is so constructed that when the arm or lever has been shifted in either direction slightly beyond a point where the valve S will be in middle position, closing both ports of the valve-case, the spring will impart a quick onward movement to the arm and valve, thereby completing the movement of the valve to open one port and close the other.

One of the ports of the valve-easing is connected to the branch pipe 5 and the other to the open air or to a pipe 16, leading tothe casing-head 17 of the well. The piston l2 is connected by a rod 1S to one end of a walk- IOO ing-beam 19, while the opposite end of said beam is connected to the pump-rod 20.

In the operation of my improved plant such vacuum is maintained by the exhaust-pump 2 in the main and branch pipes 3 and 5 that the atmospheric pressure upon the piston when the pipes are connected to the Well-cylinder will be sufficient to raise, through the medium of the walking-beam, the pum p-rods in the well. As the piston approaches the lower limit of its movement the stop 13 on the rod 10 will force down the lever 9 until in the course of its movement the end of such lever will pass beyond theapex of the spring 15, which will then quickly complete the movement of the lever and valve, so-as to close the port leading to the branch pipe 5 and open the other port, so as to admit fluid. In order to utilize the descent of the pump-rods, the valve is so constructed and adjusted as to permit the inflow of fiuid under the piston only in sufficient quantity or volume to overcome the excess of pressure on the upper side of said piston over the weight of the pumprods-as, for example, I have found ,that

with a barometric vacuum of fifteen inches in the cylinder 6 the atmospheric pressure on the piston would be sufficient to lift the pum prods, the cylinder being about fourteen inches in diameter, the pump-rods with a column of liquid raised thereby weighing about eleven hundred and fty pounds. In order to permit the descent of the pump-rods, I have found that the vacuum need not be reduced below five inches barometric measure, so that in order again to raise the pump-rods the vacuum in the cylinder must be .increased only ten inches. A

It follows from the foregoing that the power developed in the descent of the pump-rods is sufficient to relieve the central station of the production of five inches of vacu um and that the Work of the central station is reduced from the production of fifteen inches vacuum to the production of a vacuum of ten inchesl only.

It is characteristic of many oil-wells that a certain amount of gas will iiow from the wells, but not under sufficient pressure to force it through pipes, so that whatever gas may be found in the wells its utilization has heretofore been impracticable, although it is generally exceedingly difficult to obtain fuel to operate the engines employed in pumping and drilling wells. In order to utilize the gas from the wells, the inlet-port of the valvecasing 7 is connected by a pipe 16 to the casing-head 17 of the wells, so that whenever said port is open the gas from the well will flow into the cylinder, destroying the vacuum under the piston, thereby permitting the latter to be raised by the pump-rods. As the piston reaches the upward limit of its movement the valve S is shifted to close the port leading to the well and open that connected to the exhaust-pipes.

The gas will then be drawn from the cylinder to the central powerstation and forced into the reservoir et, from which it maybe drawn to be burned under the boiler or to be utilized in a gas-engine.

It frequently happens that the gas drawn from the well into the cylinder (i will not be in sufficient volume or under sufficient pressure to reduce the vacuum therein far enough to permit of the lifting of the piston by the pump-rods. In such case provision is made for the further reduction of the vacuum to the required point by the admission of a small quantity of air together with the gas. Care should be takenthat air is not admitted in sufficient quantity to destroy the combustible character of the gas.

It will be readily understood that the main exhaust-pipe can be connected by branch pipes leading to cylinders which can be util-- ized for operating wells or for any other purpose in the territory covered by the main pipe or branches leading therefrom.

I claim herein as my invention-v 1. The combination of an exhaust-pump, a single-acting cylinder connected to the exhaust pump, and a valve mechanism controlling the connection between the cylinder and exhaust-pump and constructed to permit the inflow of fluid in such quantity as to only partially destroy the vacuum in the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of an exhaust-pump, a single-acting cylinder connected to the exhaust-pump, a pump-rod o r other weight connected to the piston of the cylinder, and a valve mechanism controlling the connection between the cylinder and exhaust-pump and constructed to permit only such infiow of fluid to the cylinder as will reduce the vacuum to a point where the weight will shift the piston against atmospheric pressure, vsubstantially as set forth.

3. The combination of an exhaust-pump, a single-acting cylinder connected to the exhaust-pump, and to a gas-supply, a pump-rod or other weight connected to the piston of the IOO IOS

IIO

cylinder and a Valve mechanism controlling the connection between the cylinder, the exhaust-pump and the gas-supply, substantially as set forth.

4:. In a plant for pumping oil-wells, the combination of a central exhaust apparatus,

two or more single-acting cylinders located y 

